Ambur Mutton Biryani in an Instant Pot wih Kalijeera Rice

I have always been obsessed with making the perfect biryani. First it is was to make biryani that where each grain is separate and fluffy. Once that was done with Basmati and pressure cooker I moved on to using Seeraga Samba Rice (the rice that was normally used back home). Once that was done now I am on a quest to try different kinds of biryani along with an obsession to use Instant Pot to make the perfect biryani. Journey continues...

I saw this video and jotted down the steps to make the biryani.



I cooked this recipe with Bangladeshi Kalijeera rice which is very similar to the seeraga samba rice. You can substitute Basmati Rice if you want. I normally precook the mutton before adding to the rice for fear of the mutton not being cooked properly. I use the water from cooking the mutton for making soup. If you think the mutton will be cooked then do it in the stove top along with the onions and tomatoes, else you can do as in the recipe. I cooked the mutton in the pressure cooker, instead you can cook it on the Instant Pot directly. I forget why I did not use the Instant Pot.

Recipe in pictures,

Cook the mutton with onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies and black pepper powder along with water in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot for 3 whistles or 10 minutes.
Soak the rice for at least 1/2 hour or if you can longer. Once the mutton is cooked drain the water into a separate container.
Make a paste of the red chilies. In a pressure cooker add oil and add the whole spices.
Add curry leaves followed by the onions and saute till translucent. Add in the chili paste and saute for 2-3 minutes more.
Add in salt followed by the ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, followed by the coriander leaves and saute till wilted.
Add in tomatoes and saute till they become mushy.
Add in the cooked mutton and then the rice and mix well.
Add yogurt and the required amount of water and transfer contents to an Instant Pot.
Cook on manual mode in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes, let it be in the warm setting for 20 minutes. Open and fluff up the rice.

Serve with your choice of mutton kuzhambu or onion raita. The texture of the rice while it looks a lit bit wet, it gets separate after sitting for another 15 minutes.

Batura
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients

1. 3 lbs mutton (goat meat with bones, cut into bit size pieces)
2. 1 1/2 cups Kalijeera Rice (substitute with seeraga samba rice)
3. 2 cups of thinly sliced red onions
4. 6-8 garlic cloves finely chopped *
5. 2 tbsp of fresh ginger grated *
6. 8 red chilies (make a fine paste out of it adding a tiny bit of water)
7. 1/2 cup packed coriander leaves
8. 1/2 cup of yogurt whisked
9. Salt to taste
10. 2 tbsp of oil
11. Whole Spices: cinnamon pieces, cloves, star anise, bay leaf, curry leaves
For Cooking the Mutton**
12. 4 green chilies chopped fine
13. 2 garlic cloves chopped
14. 1/2 inch ginger chopped
15. 1 tsp turmeric powder
16. 1/4 cup chopped onions
17. 2 tsp pepper powder
18. Note:* I use the mutton cooked water to make a quick soup so I add the ginger, garlic, chilies, onions and pepper powder.
19. Note:** I use grated ginger and finely chopped garlic instead of paste as they get cooked faster than a paste of raw ginger and garlic but it is purely choice.

Method

1. Wash mutton with some turmeric powder, drain the water and take it in a pressure cooker with (ingredients under the 'For Cooking Mutton') the chopped onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, pepper powder, turmeric powder along with 1/2 cup of water and cook in the pressure for 5 whistles. Cook longer depending on the quality of the meat. Cool, drain the water to use for cooking the biryani or like I do keep it for soup. ***
2. In a wide mouthed pan or the pressure cooker add oil and when it is hot add the whole spices, give a quick saute and add sliced onions.
3. Saute the onions till the onions become translucent, add in the chili paste and give a good saute for 2-3 minutes more. Add salt and mix.
4. Add in the chopped ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes taking care not to let it burn.
5. Add in the coriander leaves and saute till the leaves are wilted.
6. Add in the tomatoes and cook till they become mushy about 2-3 minutes.
7. Now add the cooked and drained mutton and mix so the masala is well coated.
8. Add in the rice and mix it in well and add then add the yogurt and mix it into the rice.
9. Add the required amount of water (for soaked seeraga samba rice, the water 1 1/4 cups for every cup of rice. Let come to a boil.
10. Now transfer the contents to an Instant Pot. Cook in Manual Setting (or Pressure setting) for 7 minutes and let it sit in the warming mode for another 15 minutes.
11. The pressure by now nce the pressure by now would have released naturally. Open the lid and fluff up the rice.
12. Note:*** If you are interested in making a soup you can cook the mutton in the onion tomato paste and then add the rice.
Serve with onion raita.

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